The Republican National Convention heads into its second day—now with Donald Trump officially as its presidential nominee.
Former President Donald Trump energized the crowd Monday night by entering the arena with a bandage on his right ear after being injured during an assassination attempt Saturday.
Here’s the latest:
South Side Pastor Prays, and RNC Adjourns
The RNC has adjourned until the afternoon of Wednesday, July 17.
The end of the proceedings included a prayer from Pastor Corey Brooks, a man of the cloth from the South Side of Chicago.
Mr. Brooks gave a shout out to his city and state as well as “O Block”—a section of the city made famous in part by rapper Chief Keef.
On the convention floor, the video of the pastor speaking was flanked by diverse images—a man in a kippah facing an American flag and a family praying around the table, among others.
“This week, we could be having a week of mourning,” he reflected, alluding to former President Trump’s close call in an assassination attempt.
Sen. Rubio Honors Man Killed in Trump Assassination Attempt
Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida paid tribute to the Pennsylvania man who was killed during the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump on June 13.
“As a man of God, he loved Jesus fiercely and looked after members of his church,” Mr. Rubio said of Corey Comperatore Corey, 50, of Butler County, Pennsylvania. “[He] was one of the millions of everyday Americans who make our country great.”
Mr. Comperatore was a former fire chief who died while shielding his wife and daughter from bullets fired at the former president during a campaign rally.
“He wasn’t rich. He wasn’t famous,” Mr. Rubio said. “[He] lost his life the way he lived it: a hero.”
Mr. Rubio, who had been short-listed for the vice presidential nomination also honored the man who was ultimately chosen.
“The life story of our next vice president, JD Vance, reminds us we are all descendants of ordinary people who achieve extraordinary things,” Mr. Rubio said.
Grieving Mother Becomes Anti-Crime Activist
Madeline Brame pounded her fist as she decried the New York violence that claimed the life of her Army veteran son, inspiring the Republican National Convention crowd to cheer loudly and chant in support of police: “Back the Blue!”
Ms. Brame’s son, Hason Correa, 35, died after being stabbed in a Harlem apartment building—ironically after escaping enemy fire from the Taliban while serving his country in Afghanistan.
She decried the lack of sufficient punishment meted out to “the homicidal maniacs” who took his life—a symptom she blames on criminal charges often being dismissed or reduced.
The injustice “was devastating for me and my family,” she said, adding that she didn’t want anyone else to feel the horrible pain they have endured.
“So I decided to use the voice that God gave me to be the voice for the voiceless,” Ms. Brame said.
“Poor and neglected communities like mine are suffering.”
Ms. Brame believes “across America, Donald Trump shares our values, love of God and family.”
Brother of Mom Killed by Illegal Immigrant Speaks
The brother of Rachel Morin, who was killed by an illegal immigrant in Maryland, addressed the RNC, blasting President Biden’s immigration policies.
Ms. Morin was a mother of five children who was allegedly raped and murdered by an illegal immigrant in 2023.
Ms. Morin’s brother, Michael Morin, said former President Donald Trump called his family to pay his respects, whereas no one from the current administration has reached out.
The trial of Ms. Morin’s alleged killer is scheduled to begin in October.
California Mom Says Fentanyl Killed Her Son
Anne Fundner, a wife and mother of four from California, brought many convention delegates to tears with an account of the death of her 15-year-old son from fentanyl poisoning in 2022.
“Weston wanted to fit in and in a moment of peer pressure he tried something that someone gave to him and it took my baby’s life,” Ms. Fundner said. “This was not an overdose. It was a poisoning. His whole future, everything we ever wanted for him, was ripped away in an instant.”
Ms. Fundner blamed open border policies for allowing increased fentanyl smuggling
“Fentanyl is now the number one killer of Americans aged 18 to 45,” Ms. Fundner said.
“This is not a red or blue issue. This is a red, white, and blue issue.”
Nikki Haley Threads the Needle
Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations and South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley toed the line addressing the RNC.
This was evident when Ms. Haley, who ran against former President Donald Trump in the 2024 GOP primary, talked about Ukraine. Ms. Haley has supported U.S. assistance to Kyiv in its fight against Russia, but she didn’t reiterate that stance in her speech.
Rather, she drew a contrast between Democrat presidents and former President Trump.
“When Barack Obama was president Vladimir Putin invaded Crimea. With Joe Biden as president, Putin invaded all of Ukraine,” she said. “But when Donald Trump was president, Putin did nothing.”
Ms. Haley used a signature line that she emphasized during her campaign: “A strong president doesn’t start wars, a strong president prevents wars.”
Ms. Haley also drew contrasts between President Biden and former President Trump on other issues, from the Middle East to border security.
Ms. Haley received a mixed response of cheers and jeers walking up to the podium. She said former President Trump invited her to speak “in the name of unity.”
“We must not only be a unified party,” she said. “We must also expand our party.”
Former President Trump has said that Ms. Haley will “absolutely” be on his team, though he has not specified in what capacity.
Vance, Trump Enter Auditorium
Vice presidential candidate Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) entered the auditorium at approximately 7:55 p.m. Flanked by Secret Service agents, Mr. Vance greeted well-wishers as he made his way to the Trump family box, joining Tiffany Trump and Eric Trump as well as guests including Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.), Republican House Conference chair Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.), Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.), and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.).
Moments later, former President Trump entered the convention, his right ear still bandaged after being wounded in an assassination attempt on July 13. The former president made his way to the family booth and stood to acknowledge the ovation before greeting family members and guests.
Former President Trump appeared to be in good spirits, smiling and laughing with well-wishers.
Scalise, Johnson Touch on Assassination Attempt
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) mentioned both his own brush with political violence and the July 13 assassination attempt on former President Trump.
“Many of you know I was the survivor of a politically motivated shooting in 2017,” Mr. Scalise said. He was wounded in a shooting during a practice session for the annual congressional baseball game.
“Not many know that while I was fighting for my life, Donald Trump was one of the first to come console my family at the hospital,” Mr. Scalise said, adding that the incident showed the former president’s courage and compassion.
Speaking immediately after Mr. Scalise, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), said Congress will investigate the attack on the former president.
“The American people deserve to know the truth and we will ensure accountability. I promise you that,” Mr. Johnson said.
Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) will convene the House Oversight Committee on July 22. Kimberly Cheatle, director of the U.S. Secret Service, which is responsible for protecting former presidents, is expected to testify.
Ramaswamy: Trump Can Unite the Country
Entrepreneur and former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy said in a speech at the Republican National Convention that former President Donald Trump can unite the country.
“Donald Trump is the president who will actually unite this country, not through empty words, but through action, because you know, success is unified,” Mr. Ramaswamy said. “Excellence is unifying.”
Scalise Relates to Trump Assassination Attempt From 2017 Incident
Addressing the Republican National Convention (RNC), House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) made a short but powerful personal remark about the June 14 assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump at a rally in Pennsylvania.
Mr. Scalise recalled President Trump being one of the first people visiting him in the hospital in 2017 as he was fighting for his life after being shot at a baseball practice the day before the annual Congressional Baseball Game for Charity, a bipartisan occasion.
Former President Trump said he was shot in the ear. He was medically treated and made it to the RNC on June 15, where he got a thunderous applause. The shooter was killed by Secret Service snipers. One rally attendee was killed while two others were injured and are currently in stable condition.
GOP Congressman Says He Was Assaulted by Far-Left Group
Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-Wis.) said he was assaulted on July 16 by a member of the pro-Palestine and anti-war group CODEPINK while he was in line to enter an event at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.
A Milwaukee police officer arrested the member, Nour Jaghama, according to the group.
“This appears to be an incident of political violence and I will never tolerate this. Regardless of the severity of the violence, political violence is political violence,” Mr. Van Orden posted on X.
CODEPINK said in a statement obtained by The Epoch Times that Mr. Van Orden “intentionally bumped” into Ms. Jaghama, who is the group’s Palestinian campaign organizer, and that she was taken by a Texas state police officer to a Milwaukee Police Department for arrest.
“It is a microcosm of the misogyny at the RNC that the more gentle non-violent woman, the only Palestinian in line with our group is assaulted and then even when she did not respond she was the one who was arrested,” said CODEPINK in its statement.
In a statement to The Epoch Times, Milwaukee police said it is “investigating an assault that occurred on Tuesday, July 16, 2024, at approximately 11:07 a.m., on 400 block of E. Wisconsin Ave. The 24-year-old female suspect battered the victim. The suspect was taken into custody and charges will be reviewed by the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s office.”
Milwaukee police said Mr. Van Orden “sustained minor injuries and refused medical attention on scene.”
Trump Supporter at RNC Praises Choice of Vance
Bob Kunst, 82, held a sign outside the convention’s entrance that read “America Advances with Trump + Vance.”
“He made a good choice,” Mr. Kunst said of former President Donald Trump’s selection of Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) as his vice presidential nominee. “I think going for somebody that’s young and aggressive, somebody that also has a history of being dirt poor and dealing with drug issues … he represents a different kind of energy that the Republican Party needs to wake up to.”
Mr. Vance attained national fame in 2016 for his book, “Hillbilly Elegy,” which described his upbringing in Ohio and rural Kentucky in a working class family.
Former President Trump announced Mr. Vance, age 39, as his running mate on July 15 on Truth Social. Mr. Vance was formally nominated by his party later that day.
Senate Candidates Address RNC
Night Two of the Republican National Convention consists of the following GOP Senate candidates:
- Kari Lake, who unsuccessfully ran for Arizona governor in 2022 and is the favorite to take on Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) to succeed retiring Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.).
- Eric Hovde, who is running against incumbent Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.).
- Mike Rogers, a former congressman who is running for the seat being vacated by retiring Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.).
- Dave McCormick, a Bush administration veteran who unsuccessfully ran for the Senate in Pennsylvania in 2022 and is running unopposed in this year’s GOP primary to take on incumbent Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.).
- Bernie Moreno, his party’s nominee for Senate in Ohio to take on incumbent Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio).
- Jim Banks, a congressman and his party’s nominee for Senate in Indiana to succeed retiring Sen. Mike Braun (R-Ind.), who is his party’s gubernatorial nominee in the Hoosier State.
- Jim Justice, West Virginia governor who will take on Glenn Elliott, a Democrat mayor, to succeed retiring Sen. Joe Manchin (I-W.Va.). Mr. Justice appeared on stage with his popular dog, Babydog.
- Sam Brown, a military veteran who will take on incumbent Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.).
- Tim Sheehy, a businessman who will face incumbent Sen. Jon Tester (D-Montana).
- Hung Cao, his party’s nominee to face incumbent Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.).
Reince Priebus Pledges to ‘Make Wisconsin Red Again’
“As a longtime Badger, let me say, welcome to Wisconsin,” Reince Priebus told the convention crowd.
The former head of the RNC, former Trump administration official, and well-known Wisconsin Republican talked up his state as a battleground—one of the factors influencing the party’s choice to hold its convention there.
He vowed that Wisconsin could flip back this cycle, saying the GOP could “make Wisconsin red again.”
But, like politicians from both parties after the assassination attempt on former President Trump, he also flirted with the theme of unity—though in language with a partisan flavor.
Republicans, he said, could “make America one again.”
The Little White School House, Simulated
Near the RNC’s outdoor Convention Fest Stage, there’s a highly visible (albeit miniaturized) reminder of the Republican Party’s origins in 19th century Wisconsin.
It’s a replica of the Little White School House in Ripon, Wisconsin, where the party was first founded—though Michiganders are known to claim it originated in their state.
A figure from today’s Republican Party, Wisconsin Treasurer John Leiber, showed up with his wife to admire the structure and other items at a nearby booth—for example, a ticket from the 1908 Republican National Convention, held that year down Lake Michigan in Chicago.
Does he think the GOP of today bears much resemblance to the anti-slavery party that coalesced during the run-up to the American Civil War?
“Every party changes over time. I think it has to change,” Mr. Leiber told The Epoch Times. He described political parties in America as “a reflection of the time.”
Burgum Announces Speech Wednesday
A day after Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) was announced as the president’s running mate, fellow VP shortlister, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum took a few questions from reporters at the Fiserv Forum.
He said he will be speaking on stage on Wednesday, the same day Mr. Vance is slated to speak. He said he will be talking about “how to make America strong again.”
The state executive emphasized that he is still governor of North Dakota until his term ends and that delivering the former president a victory in November is “the most important thing we have to do.”
Mr. Burgum told reporters that former President Trump referred to him as “secretary” after the VP pick was publicized, but offered no additional specifics.
Trump, Vance Set First Joint Rally in Michigan
Former President Donald Trump is hitting the campaign trail again, this time with his newly minted running mate, Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio).
The former president and his VP choice are set to appear at 5 p.m. July 20 in Grand Rapids, Michigan, a week after he survived an attempted assassination at his rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
“This will be President Trump and Senator Vance’s first rally after officially accepting the Republican Nomination for President and Vice President of The United States of America,” The Trump campaign said in an announcement released July 16, a day after the former president revealed that Mr. Vance was his VP choice.
The former president’s speech is set for 5 p.m. ET at the Van Andel Arena.
As with other recent rallies, the campaign intends to contrast the former president’s policies with those of his presumed Democrat opponent, President Joe Biden.
The campaign pointed out economic conditions, particularly inflation, and issues related to illegal immigration and crime.
“President Trump will ease the financial pressures placed on households and re-establish law and order in Michigan!” the former president’s campaign news release said.
“We can Make America Great Again by tackling lawlessness head-on, ceasing the endless flow of illegal immigrants across our southern border, and reversing the detrimental effects [of] inflation by restoring the American people’s wealth.”
Democratic Party Plans to Nominate President Biden Before End of July
President Joe Biden is expected to secure the 2024 presidential nomination through a virtual vote held before the end of July, ahead of the Democratic National Convention in August.
Quentin Fulks, President Biden’s principal deputy campaign manager, confirmed on July 16 that the Democratic National Committee (DNC) will move forward with the plan as previously scheduled and organize a virtual roll call before the convention.
“I think the answer here is very simple,” Mr. Fulks said during a news conference in Milwaukee addressing the decision. “There have been virtual roll calls in previous presidential elections.”
The plans to nominate President Biden ahead of the Aug. 19 convention predates his June 27 debate with former President Donald Trump. Following the debate, some lawmakers called on President Biden to drop out of the race.
The exact date of the roll call has not been released, but the DNC has indicated that it will do it by late July.
Shooting Near RNC in Milwaukee, One Person Reported Shot by Police
One person is reported to have been shot by police in an area near the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, according to a press release from the Fraternal Order of Police (F.O.P.).
F.O.P Lodge No. 9 said in the statement that they were made aware that members of Ohio’s Columbus Division of Police were “involved in an officer involved shooting” near the convention on Tuesday, July 16.
“No Officers have been injured however the condition of the suspect is currently unknown,” the statement said. “Columbus Police Officers along with multiple officers from multiple jurisdictions nationwide are at the RNC to support Milwaukee police with security for the event.”
Lodge President Brian Steel said he had been in contact with the Wisconsin State F.O.P. President Ryan Windorff regarding the situation.
The Milwaukee Police Department said in an email to The Epoch Times a press conference will be held soon with more details on the “critical incident.”
A visit with former British Prime Minister Johnson
Trump met with former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson in Milwaukee Tuesday on the second day of the Republican National Convention.
“Great to meet President Trump who is on top form after the shameful attempt on his life,” Johnson posted on the social platform X along with a photo of the pair — Trump’s right ear still bandaged after an assassination attempt on Saturday.
Johnson said the two discussed Ukraine and said he has “no doubt” that Trump “will be strong and decisive in supporting that country and defending democracy.”
Trump posted a similar photo on his own social media site and called Johnson “a very fine guy!”
Republicans that previously opposed Trump are now ‘reading the room,’ delegate says
Karen Wyld, a delegate from South Carolina, said Tuesday that Republicans like J.D. Vance and Nikki Haley who once opposed Donald Trump but now support him are “reading the room.”
“Reading the American people,” Wyld said. ”The American people love Trump. In the end, Trump loves this country and they know it.”
“She’s going to be conciliatory,” Wyld said of Haley speaking during the Republican National Convention Tuesday night. “She wants what’s best for the country and I think she’s doing what she has to do.”
Georgia governor stops short of saying he’d consider Trump cabinet role if offered one
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp stopped well short Tuesday of saying he would consider a job in a Trump cabinet, should the outspoken Republican critic of the former president be asked to serve in one.
“That would have to be a powerful conversation,” Kemp said, during an interview with Politico during an event near the Fiserv Forum during the Republican Committee in Milwaukee.
The comments came after Kemp was candid in his disagreement with Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance’s suggestion Saturday that the assassination attempt on Trump was the result of Biden campaign rhetoric.
“I personally wouldn’t have made that comment,” Kemp said.
Kemp might not be at the top of a second Trump administration’s list of prospective cabinet members. After the 2020 presidential election, Kemp dismissed Trump’s effort to change the outcome in his state, where Democrat Joe Biden won.
Kemp went on to beat Trump’s endorsed candidate in the 2022 primary against him.
Kemp also testified under subpoena for the Fulton County, Georgia, special grand jury that investigated attempts to alter the 2020 election results.
Florida delegate: ‘Thank God he’s still here’
Cindy Spray, a delegate from Florida, has been a supporter of Donald Trump from the start and says her feelings haven’t changed.
“I saw a movement about to take place,” Spray said Tuesday outside the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee. “There were candidates there that some of my friends supported in that cycle of 2016, but I always felt something was different about President Trump. He’s just an incredible person.”
Spray said there was momentum behind Trump’s campaign this year even before the assassination attempt on Saturday. But seeing a wounded Trump speak Monday night at the Republican National Convention only added to the momentum and emotions.
“I did see the bandage and I think the whole center kind of looked to see that,” Spray said. “You didn’t have to cry. You could feel the tears falling. You could feel them fall to the ground. Some of my colleagues in my delegation, I looked around and I could see them tearing up. And there was a huge emotional rush of, ‘Thank God he’s still here.’ God saw over him.”
Trump and Vance to speak at a rally in Michigan on Saturday
Donald Trump has announced that he and his chosen running mate, U.S. Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, will speak at a rally on Saturday in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
The event will be the first rally since both accepted their nominations at the convention.
The scheduled rally comes just a week after the attempted assassination of Trump at a campaign rally last Saturday, where Trump was injured, an attendee died and two others were seriously wounded.
Trump’s speech on Thursday ‘could be very important,’ Pennsylvania GOP chair says
Pennsylvania Republican Party Chairman Lawrence Tabas said he hoped Saturday’s assassination attempt on former President Trump would reset the tone nationally, beginning with the former president’s speech to the Republican National Convention on Thursday.
“I think his speech could be very important. Notice during his appearance (Monday), he was more subdued than normal, almost humbled,” Tabas said in an Associated Press interview after the Pennsylvania GOP’s delegation breakfast in suburban Milwaukee. “After a brush with death, I do believe—going through that—that his message will be better, and I think will appeal to our better emotions.”
“He has an enormous amount of compassion and empathy that doesn’t always come through,” he said.
Trump Jr.: ‘My father will always be a fighter’
Speaking to Axios’ co-founder Mike Allen on Tuesday, Donald Trump Jr. said he felt the “gravity of the moment”—referring to Saturday’s shooting—when his father walked on the stage Monday night at the RNC with a bandage on his ear.
Donald Trump Jr. told Allen that he spent three or four hours going through his father’s convention speech with him, “trying to de-escalate some of that rhetoric.”
When asked if the change in Trump’s rhetoric would last, he said: “I think it lasts. There are events that change you for a couple minutes and there are events that change you permanently.”
“My father will always be a fighter,” he added. “That’s never going to change. But I think he’s going to do his best to moderate that with where it needs to be.”
Don Jr. describes first call with Trump after shooting
Donald Trump Jr. on Tuesday described the 90 minutes when he didn’t know whether his father was alive after Saturday’s assassination attempt.
Donald Trump Jr. spoke with Axios’ co-founder Mike Allen at an event outside the RNC at Central Waters Brewing Company in downtown Milwaukee. The event was fully packed, reaching capacity with a few dozen attendees having to watch the conversation on a TV outside.
Donald Trump Jr., who was fishing in Florida with his daughter at the time, said it was about 90 minutes after the shooting before he knew his father was OK. When he saw images of the former president with his fist in the air, Donald Trump Jr. said he felt pride.
“To be shot and to stand up with that kind of resolve, I just told him, ‘Hey man, you’re the biggest bad-ass I know,’” the ex-president’s eldest son said.
After the initial happiness of knowing he was OK, Donald Trump Jr. said there was some levity when he asked his father about his hair and Trump responded by saying it was fine even though it had a little blood in it.
Protesters have a stage to speak from, but no audience
A stage set up by the city of Milwaukee for protesters near the Republican National Convention has no audience beyond a few journalists and staff organizing the event.
It opened at 11 a.m. as the closest approved location for speakers near the Fiserv Forum.
But on Tuesday morning there were only two speakers including an 82-year-old Trump supporter who has been sitting outside the convention for three days.
Robert Kunest, wearing a blue baseball cap that says “Israel,” says he’s been interviewed by more than 100 journalists during the convention. He walks around the convention pushing a cart that holds a well-worn chair patched together with tape and signs that include ones reading, “America Advances with Trump & Vance.”
The Florida man spoke for about 20 minutes into a microphone about Trump, the war in Gaza and the economy.
“Where is everybody?” he said.
Ahead of the convention, more than 100 people signed up to speak on the stage. But city officials say the no-show rate has been more than 80 percent. On Monday there were only a handful of speakers.
City leaders say they might have opted to join Monday’s large march that started at a nearby park.
Homeland Security Committee chair demands that leaders of Secret Service, FBI and more appear
The chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee is demanding top leaders from the Secret Service, FBI and Homeland Security appear to discuss the assassination attempt against Donald Trump.
U.S. Rep. Mark Green, the Republican from Tennessee who chairs the committee, said in a statement that he wants Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, FBI Director Christopher Wray and Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle to testify July 23.
Green wrote that the “American people want answers” on Saturday’s shooting.
Green has already reached out to the secretary demanding information about the shooting including plans to secure the perimeter where the rally was held.
Hutchison: ‘Security is an important theme of this convention’
Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchison zeroed in on security at the RNC in an on-the-street interview Tuesday morning near Fiserv Forum.
“Security is an important theme of this convention,” Hutchinson, who in January suspended his campaign for the Republican nomination for president, said. “It’s important to Americans, and with the assassination attempt last week security becomes more important for public officials, but it’s also important as former President Trump said to diminish the harshness of the rhetoric and hopefully can bring people together.”
Hutchinson acknowledged that Saturday’s assassination attempt was a galvanizing moment.
“Whenever you look at the strength of Donald Trump as he rose from that attack it signaled ‘I’m here’ and we’re going to continue and not let democracy be defeated,” Hutchinson said. “That’s America. That’s iconic for America and you can’t help but contrast that with the debate performance of incumbent Joe Biden.”
Pennsylvania delegate to immigration speakers: ‘Close the border’
Pennsylvania delegate John Fredericks had a simple bar for Tuesday’s immigration speakers at the RNC, “Close the border. If they’re here illegally, get them out—now. That’s all I’m interested in. Get them out.”
Fredericks, who is from Pittsburgh and was attending the Pennsylvania GOP delegation breakfast at a hotel in Milwaukee’s western suburbs, said the problem has worsened since 2016 when his concerns were more about Mexican migrants crossing the border.
Today, Fredericks says he is worried more about would-be terrorists from non-Central American countries using the U.S.-Mexico border as an entry point, as a matter of national security. He said he supported “the largest mass deportation in history.”
Secret Service director shed more light on rally shooting during ABC News interview
The director of the Secret Service shed more light on the shooting at Trump’s rally in Pennsylvania, telling ABC News Monday night that reports that the shooter had been noticed by people in the area and local authorities before climbing on the roof where he took the shots took place in a “very short period of time.”
“Seeking that person out, finding them, identifying them, and eventually neutralizing them took place in a very short period of time, and it makes it very difficult,” Kim Cheatle said during an interview Monday with ABC News.
Cheatle described the role local law enforcement played in securing the event, saying that the “Secret Service was responsible for the inner perimeter.”
And, she said, the service had assistance from local authorities “for the outer perimeter.”
“There was local police in that building—there was local police in the area that were responsible for the outer perimeter of the building,” she said.
Secret Service director says shooting at Trump rally ‘unacceptable’
“It’s something that shouldn’t happen again,” Kim Cheatle said in an interview Monday night with ABC News. “It was obviously a situation that as a Secret Service agent, no one ever wants to occur in their career.”
Cheatle described her reaction after hearing about the shooting, saying she was shocked and concerned for Trump.
“This is an event that should have never happened,” she said.
Cheatle was asked who bears the most responsibility for the shooting happening.
“What I would say is the Secret Service is responsible for the protection of the former president,” she said. “The buck stops with me.
Dems hold event to counter Teamsters union president’s RNC appearance
Democrats are seeking to counter the appearance of Teamsters Union President Sean O’Brien Monday night at the Republican National Convention.
They held an event in Milwaukee Tuesday morning to claim that they have the backs of workers, not Republicans. It’s an attempt to strip away political rhetoric and instead focus on track records in office. O’Brien made the case Monday that the political system is broken and needs bipartisanship, while the union and party officials tied to the Democrats said that Republicans are behind the breakdowns.
AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler said, “When people have the facts and they see the stark choices” they’ll back the Biden-Harris ticket.
Quentin Fulks, the Biden-Harris deputy campaign manager, said that Republicans will “always choose big, greedy, anti-union” interests over workers.
Lara Trump encourages Pennsylvania delegation to vote early
In a flip from Donald Trump’s past two campaigns, Lara Trump encouraged the Pennsylvania delegation to vote early — a contrast from the former president’s long-held, public doubts about early and absentee voting.
“We’re taking nothing for granted,” she said, suggesting that banking early votes will help the campaign spend the final stage of the campaign focusing on late deciders.
She also suggested that the map of battleground states was expanding beyond the half dozen or so states that have been the campaign’s focus so far. She said Minnesota and Virginia had been added to their battleground plans. Biden lost the two states in 2020, though they were competitive in 2016.
“Get ready to see a lot of red on that map,” she said. “We have to make it too big to rig.”
Lara Trump: ‘The show goes on’
“This is incredible to be here right now and I think we all know why. We may have been looking at a very different situation, but for the grace of God,” Republican National Committee co-chair Lara Trump told more than 200 Pennsylvania delegates and guests Tuesday morning in a hotel ballroom in Waukesha, Wisconsin, west of Milwaukee. “God bless, Donald J. Trump.”
“Here we are. The show goes on,” she said.
Lara Trump was making her first public appearance at the Republican National Convention speaking to the Pennsylvania delegation—a nod to the assassination attempt against the former president on Saturday and Pennsylvania’s pivotal place on the battleground map.
“What a time to be a member of the Republican Party,” she said. “We will be the party through Donald J. Trump saves the United States of America.”
First day of the RNC was ‘calm’ overall, Milwaukee’s mayor says
“The demonstrations that occurred yesterday — they proceeded without any major problem,” Mayor Cavalier Johnson said during a Tuesday morning briefing.
Johnson said two arrests were made—one when someone tried to climb a fence into a restricted area and a second arrest when a demonstrator was blocking traffic and did not move when officers repeatedly asked her to do so.
“No one was hurt and there was no significant property damage that was reported as a result of these demonstrations,” Johnson said.
Trump’s economic plans include proposed tariffs, tax cuts, and no taxes on tips
The first night of the Republican National Convention kept its official focus on the economy Monday even after Saturday’s shooting at a rally in Pennsylvania in which former President Donald Trump was injured.
Speakers argued that Trump would fix inflation and bring back prosperity simply by returning to the White House as president. Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin lamented, “Tonight, America, the land of opportunity, just doesn’t feel like that anymore.”
Trump says he wants tariffs on trade partners and no taxes on tips. He would like to knock the corporate tax rate down a tick. The Republican platform also promises to “defeat” inflation and “quickly bring down all prices,” in addition to pumping out more oil, natural gas and coal.
The platform would address illegal immigration in part with the “largest deportation program in American history.” And Trump would also scrap President Joe Biden’s policies to develop the market for electric vehicles and renewable energy.
Democrats and several leading economists say the math shows that Trump’s ideas would cause an explosive bout of inflation, wallop the middle class and—by his extending his soon-to-expire tax cuts—heap another $5 trillion-plus onto the national debt.
On the campaign trail, Biden is trying to sharpen the choice voters face in November
President Joe Biden will speak at the NAACP convention in Las Vegas on Tuesday, aiming to showcase his administration’s support for Black voters who are a tentpole of the Democratic coalition and his personal political support.
He’ll also participate in an interview with BET. Tomorrow, he’ll address UnidosUS, looking to bolster his appeal to Latino voters, another crucial Democratic-leaning bloc.
What to know about JD Vance, Trump’s VP pick
Trump chose U.S. Sen. JD Vance of Ohio to be his running mate as he looks to return to the White House. Here are some things to know about the 39-year-old Republican now in his first term in the Senate:
1. Vance rose to prominence with his bestseller memoir “Hillbilly Elegy,” a book about his roots in rural Kentucky and blue-collar Ohio.
2. Vance was a “never Trump” Republican in 2016, but by the time Vance met Trump in 2021, he had reversed his opinion.
3. Vance and Trump have a personal chemistry: The two speak on the phone regularly, and Trump has complimented Vance’s beard, saying he “looks like a young Abraham Lincoln.”
Nikki Haley expected to speak later Tuesday
Nikki Haley, Trump’s former primary rival, was a last-minute addition to the schedule.
The former United Nations ambassador and South Carolina governor waited two months after dropping out in March to say she would vote for him. Then last week, she announced she would instruct her convention delegates to vote for Trump but wasn’t planning to attend the convention.
It wasn’t until Sunday—hours after the shooting—that her office reversed itself and said she would speak.
Epoch Times reporters Lawrence Wilson, Jackson Richman, Arjun Singh, Janice Hisle, Nathan Worcester, and The Associated Press contributed to this report.